Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Turkish Patriotic Song Uses Melody from "Der Rebbe Elimelech"

We never expected to feature a Turkish patriotic song on Jewish Humor Central, but we just had to share this revelation by Zecharia Golden in the Forward this weekend.

In honor of the hundredth jubilee of the Turkish Republic, a patriotic song from 1972 is often heard in the Turkish social media this year. The song, "Bir Bashkadr Benim Memleketim" (My hometown is special) has a beautiful melody and the words paint a rural scene. It sounds like a classic Turkish folk song.  

The melody of the song comes from the Yiddish song Der Rebbe Elimelech, which
was first translated into a French song "Lavougl" from 1969 (The Blind Man), and then into the Turkish "Memlektim".

Here is a video of the Turkish song followed by a video of Eynat Betzalel singing Der Rebbe Elimelech. acccompanied by L'Orchestre Festival led by arranger and conductor Meinrad Koch. 

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 

  

 

Welcoming Shabbat with a Turkish version of Shalom Aleichem

We have posted many versions of Shalom Aleichem on Fridays as a way of transitioning from weekdays to Shabbat. We're always looking for new interpretations. Today we found one that comes from Turkey, using an instrument that we've never seen before.

The dancing would make us dizzy, but it doesn't seem to affect the dancer who revolves to the music. We tried to find information about the performers but all we could find is that one is a costume designer and the other is an Esoteric Artist, Hypnotist, Quantum Biofeedback and Biorezonian Expert from Instanbul.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

A Thanksgiving Journey: In Search of the Wild Challurkey

The staff at Mayim Bialk's website, Grok Nation, has been busy this week getting ready for Thanksgiving. 

FIlled with the holiday spirit, and probably somewhat nostalgic for the rare confluence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah a couple of years ago, Grok Nation's Editorial Director Esther Kustanowitz ventured forth to find a way for like-minded Jews to perpetuate the traditions of both holidays.

She didn't have to travel far from her home base in Los Angeles. At Bibi’s Bakery & Cafe in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, bakers have been hard at work in advance of Thanksgiving, producing Challurkeys around the clock. Esther's interview of owner and baker Dan Messinger about the peculiarities and importance of this festive Thanksgiving bread reveals everything you wanted to know about the Challurkey.

GrokNation is an online community for people of all ages and backgrounds to dive deep into conversations on contemporary issues. Actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory, Blossom) founded the site two years ago. Grok is one of those words that people who are fans of classic sci-fi probably know. Originally, it’s from a 1960s sci-fi novel called Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, and refers to one character’s attempt to learn about the world around him by “grokking,” drinking in an idea until it becomes part of him from the inside out.

Enjoy, and have a happy Thanksgiving.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.